d3nch

You may have seen the "Bike tried to burn down my work" post in Bike Chat, well seeing as it is now kind of technical, I thought I would post it in Pit Stop to ask for some help. Original Post is http://themotorbikeforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34336&sid=927f122ea66562f698fe54a97da08254 Sounds about right, same happened to my bike (except fuel didnt piss out, and the bike barley turned over) but took me ages of fault finding then eventually at the garage with about £200's worth of bills Needed a new fuel tap, float needle valve (i think), new oil and something else. That + labour bit me ! I had that when I bought the bike, carbs are replacement ones, had engine flush, brand new tap (now 2 years old) and its got a clean fuel filter on it... http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/1033/img2259o.jpg By d3nch at 2010-10-01 http://img816.imageshack.us/img816/4814/img2261et.jpg By d3nch at 2010-10-01 http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/7008/img2264l.jpg By d3nch at 2010-10-01 This is where it is now leaking from. The last time I had a leak from here it was coolant. The manual said it means the coolant seals have gone, and they were, so I had them replaced. It doesnt say petrol is meant to come out of here though.... D3nch Cheers D3nch

Cracking Thread, Its a shame people are like this. I hope you can get it all sorted soon How can a caravan be illegally parked on a drive? I'm not challenging you, I just wondered what is illegal about it! I would counter complain, that'll teach em'! D3nch

Cool thanks for the help! Its all fitted and I've done 100 miles on it and its not missed a beat! Cheers D3nch

I have just fitted a fuel filter to the bike. Because of where it it positioned, it is lying horizontally and therefore not filling up fully. The bike has ticked over and revved fine, I'm yet to take it out on a proper test ride, but I was just wondering if this is a problem. Does a fuel filter have to be full or can it lie horizontally with an air bubble in it as long as it puts enough fuel through? Cheers D3nch

Got the bike back. They took the carbs apart and said the were completely full of crap, rusty looking liquid etc... They've cleaned them all up and taken the bike for a good ride and it now runs like new! When I picked the bike up I told the mechanic I didnt think there was a fuel filter fitted, and so he gave me an inline one for free. I'm going to fit it this morning. Quick question I forgot to ask when I picked up said filter is, as I have two lines coming from the tank (Main and Reserve) but only 1 fuel filter, is it ok to put the filter after the tap? As its vacuum fed, would the filter cause problems with fuel flow if it is fitted after the main point of vacuum, between the tap and the carb? Cheers D3nch (Edit) Oh and even with a fuel filter fitted, I'm going to treat the bike to a bit of redex every few tanks to try and keep things clean. I just need to work out the right quantities as it doesn't come pre measured for bikes!(Edit)

Ok, so the bike went to the mechanic today. It wasnt getting any better, so I took it to my mechanic to see if he could work out what it was. He did a quick test on it and said cylinder 1 wasnt firing properly. it does a high revs, but not anything under 6k. Its now in his hands. He reckons its something silly and simple on the carbs that I could have knocked. He did ask that when I cleaned the carbs did i take the restrictor out! As if I would! I didnt pay £180 for washers just to remove em again, and invalidate my insurance, license, and therefore my job! Cheers D3nch PS when i get the bike back, ill let you know what it was!

Yea Im sure the whistle is nothing serious. Ive seen lots of videos on youtube of my bike, and alot make similar noises. there were loads of comments saying its common on them! shame but oh well! I need to fit a fuel filter to the bike. when cleaning out the tank and inspecting everything, i discovered that where there was meant to be a filter, there wasnt. Im just going to get an inline filter and stick it in. Exhaust is black and sooty. The bike smells of petrol when run, so im with you that its using too much fuel. I'll have to look at how to weaken the mixture, or failing that take it to a garage, as i dont want to put the carbs out of sync. Its done it since the bike was restricted. before then it ran like a dream, but since its never been quite right. should have just ripped the restrictor out when i was cleaning the carbs, but knowing my luck as do as I do that the police would ask to power test the bike! Cheers for your help. D3nch

I've recently cleaned up the carbs and fuel tank on my 1998 er500. The carbs were flooding after any slight bit of hard riding or high revving. Since cleaning them out they no longer flood, which is good, however the bike is now making this noise. (Edit - I am refering to the popping in exhaust when I rev the bike and hold it at the same revs, not the high pitch whistle, that is common on er5's) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCPlZPcjLV4 The bike in general smells very petroly, (when running) but i have been round and checked for leaks. I think that the smell is coming from the exhaust. I am assuming the mixture or timing is out, but I'm not 100%. Haynes says that the timing cant be adjusted on this bike. The only other thing I can think of is, to try and clean the carbs out further, I added a small amount (taking into account that this is a bike tank not a car) of redex petrol treatment. Could this be causing the poor running? Any help is much appriciated. D3nch

Hi, After having a few issues with the bike, I decided to clean out the fuel tank, and spray the carbs out with carb cleaner. I also sped the idle up a little as it seemed a little slow. It seems to have worked a treat, although not been on a long ride to properly test it yet. When looking at the carbs today I found two holes that I couldnt identify from the manual or exploded diagrams. wondered if anyone could tell me their job. [/img] I'm talking about the two holes each side in the center of the bit of the carb that meets the air box the inlet I think. The needle points directly to them. Sorry I cant seem to edit the picture to show exactly where I mean. I cant see where or what they meet up with on the exploded diagram. http://images.cmsnl.com/img/partslists/carburetor-parts-1998-a2-er500_bigkae0448e1612_7b65.gif Any ideas welcome! I sprayed em out, one may have been blocked but its hard to say! The carb cleaner was making all sorts of noises as it hit different bits of the carb! Cheers D3nch

What did you mean "unless its vacuum fed? I know that my tap is controlled on a vacuum, or am i talking about something completely different? Cheers for your help! D3nch

Clamp Prior to cut? What do you mean, fit the fuel line to it then cut the line? Also its only an er5 so pretty basic no frills, but is there a certain filter I need, or will any one do? Will this have any effect on the flow of fuel from the tank? Cheers for your help D3nch

I've had a few problems recently with my carbs flooding after accelerating hard. After speaking to a few people including my mechanic, we have come to the conclusion that my floats are probably sticking due to dirt. If I tap the carbs with a screwdriver and a hammer, the problem is solved, because I am dislodging the dirt, allowing the float to return. I took the bike to my mechanic, and he cleaned out the carbs (saying there were pretty mucky) and adjusted the floats to allow a little less fuel, as the bike has been restricted since I bought it. This worked wonders and I could sit at 10K all day (not that there is any need to) up until recently where the problem came back. I have put the problem back down to dirt, but this time from the tank, back into the carbs. So today I removed the tank (first time of ever doing work on a motorbike, very proud of myself) and emptied it, so I could wash it out. Whilst it was off I thought I would take a look at the condition of the fuel filter. I looked in the haynes manual to find out where it was, and it said it was attached with two unions under the tank. I located said unions and undid them, only to find nothing there. I'm wondering if maybe something has fallen out, as I have no idea how these are held in place. I have the work shop manual, and it looks like there should be something sitting in the union, but on mine there wasnt. I also have a rattle in the tank, sounded like a stone. now im 99% sure that this is infact the filter having come off. I just wondered if anyone else had any similar exprience, or advice on what to do. If it is the filter, do I need to get it out? I've put the bike back together now, and it runs sweet, although i've got it in the back of my mind that there is no filter. Shall I try and remove the old one (if so how) or leave it and just fit an inline filter between the tank and the fuel tap? Sorry If this is a long post and or doesnt make sense, I've spent too long in an enclosed garage with petrol fumes floating around! Cheers D3nch

The Stig, I wish!!! Glad people like them. I've had more nods from other bikers since i've worn them and stopped riding in jeans! D3nch

What do you think? My first Leathers... http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8842/27062009441.jpg D3nch

Yea Its not bad. Not wanting to Hijack this thread, I'm now copying and pasting what I put into another topic in Bike Chat!

Ive bought a very neglected ER-5. Yesterday I bought some chain lube, went for a ride, got it nice and hot, came back sprayed it right on. Later on I was on here looking around, and I saw the guide to oiling the chain. It said about cleaning the chain before lubing it or you could end up making it worse.... So this evening I went out and followed the steps in the guide, even making the ultimate chain cleaning tool, two tooth brushes on a bit of wood. viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21360 I've tried my best to get the chain clean, but as I say, it was very bad when I got the bike. Here is a photo of the before and after... http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/5200/20062009410.jpg D3nch

Hi, The guy has ordered them in. I went to get some lube the other day, and when i popped in he said that the jacket had arrived, and I was waiting on the trousers... Tried on the jacket, looks good I think... http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/637/18062009407.jpg D3nch

Howdy, I currently have a tatty old leather jacket, some gloves and a set of Lewis boots. A friend lent me this stuff to use when i first got into biking, to save be buying any in case I didnt take well to biking. Well now I have passed my test, and am running about on a 500, so I thought its about time treat myself to some better protection. I don't want to spend £100s and £100s, but at the same time I dont want just the cheap and cheerful stuff and I don't want a 1 piece suit. I managed to find some leathers I liked, and that fitted well. Its a Lewis Apexx Sport leather jacket, and matching trousers. Its around £130 for jacket, and £120 for trousers. Im going to get a knox back protector too. http://www.lewisgear.com/cgi-bin/lewis_detail.pl?id=LLJ116WHITE&width=500&height=438 http://www.lewisgear.com/cgi-bin/lewis_detail.pl?id=LLT116&width=500&height=438 Does anyone have any experience with Lewis Leathers? The only thing I'm unsure of, is what way are the boots meant to go, over the trousers, or under? Cheers Add

yea tbh, i agree with what was said in another topic: the manufactures know whats best for the bike, so i'll stick with that! Cheers for the help D3nch

Yea I did that on my 125, as they were cracked... It doesnt supprise me its the tyres, The bike has sat (outside) for a good 6 months before I had it. The previous owner drove it 2 miles to work and 2 miles back before it went off the road with messed up carbs. My mechanic is sorting out a set of Dunlops £155 all in. He tells me they have a harder compound in the middle, but softer on the outside for better cornering. He said it was possible to put a 140/70/17 (standard 130/70/17) on the rear to give me a bit more to play with if I wanted... I wasn't so sure whether to or not... D3nch

Right.... Took it to the mechanic and he did all the checks, and found nothing wrong. He said there is no play anywhere, and nothing is loose. He suspects it could be the tyre, either being out of balance, or having a ply or wire snapped? He said there is nothing on there thats unsafe, so to ride it, keep an eye on it, and try and work out exactily when it does it, e.g. speed, lean, road surface. (at the moment it has done it on lots of different roads, so I'm trying to rule out surface.) Im looking at changing my tyres pretty soon also, as the current ones are starting to crack. Hopefully that will solve the problem... D3nch

http://www.ogio.com/product.php?product=164 http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/OGIO_No_Drag_Backpack--609537.html This bag is fantastic. I rode with it today, and didn't even know it was there. I highly recommend it. I'm not going to babble on about all its features, cos there is a website for that. But it does what it says on the tin. D3nch

awesome, thanks for the advice... Its not looking toooo serious then.... I'll let you know what it was when i get it fixed... Cheers, D3nch

Hi, Ive noticed a slight wobble from the front of my bike occasionally when riding. The bike is a Kawasaki Er500. I bought the bike 3 or so weeks ago, and before then it has sat a while. However, when I picked it up, I got it MOT'ed and it passed with no advisories. When accelerating I dont tend to notice the problem, probably, because I've got other things to worry about, but when slowing down (without breaking) and when leaning the bike slightly, i get a slight left right left right judder from the handle bars. Sometimes you can even notice it doing it by looking at the clocks - again, I try not to spend all my time looking down though. The bike sits quite happily a 70 and is nice and smooth, just when rolling to slow down, or leaning in some corners, i get this wobble. I have checked tyre pressure, condition of tyre, and the wheel nuts. They all seem ok. I'm wondering if because the bike has sat for a while, the bearings may be up the creek. I know that I have not bent the front wheel by hitting anything, and I assume that if it was bent when I bought the bike it wouldn't have passed and MOT? Any Ideas? I have contacted my mechanic, he has advised me not to ride it, and he is taking a look Tuesday. (there goes the bank hol fun) Cheers D3nch

oh dear, I didnt look at the date sorry!!!!